Gundam, the Japanese robot that shot to fame in a 1980s anime series, took to the skies
over Tokyo on Friday when a custom-designed All Nippon Airways jet made its first flight.
The Boeing 777 is painted with a life-size Gundam on one side and an ANA Gundam logo
on the other.
The jet is part of a series of events to mark the 30th anniversary of the sale of Gundam
model kits. Other events have included opening a Gundam cafe in Tokyo's Akihabara and last
year, to mark the 30th anniversary of the anime, a life-size Gundam was on show in a
Tokyo park.
The collaboration with ANA also extends to a custom Gundam model, which features the
airline's logo and will be available onboard ANA international flights.
The CEOs of ANA and Bandai exchanged models during a short ceremony at Tokyo's Haneda
Airport around noon on Friday.
The inaugral flight carried just under 500 people and took off at 1:19 bound for Osaka's
Itami Airport.
Many of those with tickets appeared to be Gundam fans. The camera-toting passengers
paused to get shots of the jet, the illustrations on the side and the fuss being made by ground
staff over the first flight.
Over the next few days the aircraft is scheduled to make appearances in Fukuoka and Sapporro.
It isn't scheduled to make an international flights.
In Tokyo this is Martyn Williams, IDG News Service